Coin-controlled chair.



E. W. ALLEN.

COIN CONTROLLED CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED D150. 2, 1909.

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Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

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E. W. ALLEN.

COIN CONTROLLED CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 2, 1909.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

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EDGAR. W. ALLEN, 0F SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

COIN-CONTROLLED CHAIR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR XV. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a coin-controlled chair, settee or the like, and pertains particularly to seats such as are distributed throughout parks, recreation grounds, and other public places.

It is the object of this invention to provide a chair or seat which is normally locked against use, and having means by which it may be unlocked for use by the action of a coin; and means for automatically relocking the chair when not in use.

A further object is to provide a coin-controlled chair which is simple in construction, easy in operation, and which is strong and durable.

The invention consists of the parts, and the construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which? Figure l is a side elevation of the invention, showing the chair in its locked position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the chair in its rearward position. Fig. 3 is a detailed plan view of the slotted arm and the lock. Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional elevation ofthe coin-operated lock. Fig. 5 is a front view of same. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of chair. Fig. 7 is a section.

In the drawings AA represent the side members of the chair which may be of any suitable or desired construction, and are preferably made of wrought or cast metal. These side members form the legs and armrests of the chair, and support the seat 2 and back 3 as later described, the side members being separated the required length of the seat and tied together by suitable brace rods 4.

The seat 2 and back 3 may be built integral, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or the back 3 may be supported on the side members AA, independent of the seat 2, as shown in Fig. 6. In both forms of construction, the seat 2 is mounted upon a shaft or bar 5, the ends of which are pivotally supported in suitable bearings 6 secured to the respective side members AA, and is adapted to Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 2, 1909.

Patented: Mar. 28, 1911.

Serial No. 530,979.

be oscillated therein: so as to: throw the seat in or out of a horizontal position.

As shown. in Figs. 1-2, the seat 2 and back 3 are constructed of slats, the ends of which are secured to the side bars 33 These sidebars are bent into the form of an obtuse cng'le, one side of which forms the support forthe back 3, and the other supports the seat 2. The shaft 5 is secured to the seat 2 at a point near and forward of the juncture with the back 3, in any suitable manner. A weight 7 is secured to the forward edge of the seat which tends to pull the seat downward on its pivotal bearing into an approximately perpendicular position, the back 3 then being inclined forwardly, as shown in Fig. 1.

Slots 8 are formed in or on the arm pieces A-A as shown in Fig. 3, in which the side bars 33 of the back 3 are adapted to slide, slots 9 being formed in the back 3 adjacent to the side bars to permit of movement ofthe latter in the slots 8. At the forward end of the slot 8 in the arm A is a coin-controlled lock 10 which is adapted to engage the side bar 3 when in its forwardmost position, as will now be described. This lock, as shown in Fig. at, has a casing 10 which is securely fastened to the arm A in any desired manner, and is slotted at 11 on its upper edge soas to receive the bar 3. Pivotally mounted at 12, within the casing 10, is a locking-bar 13 which is constructed in the form of a rocking-lever, the upper portion of which is adapted to extend through the easing 10 across the slot 11, and the lower arm extends downward so as to project in front of a coin as later described.

The locking-bar or bolt 13 is weighted at 13 so as to tend to assume the position shown in dotted lines (Fig. 4) with the upper arm drawn back into the casing 10 out of the slot 11. As a means of throwing the bolt 13 into the slot 11, I providealatch lever 14 which is pivotally mounted at 15, the upper end of which is beveled as shown in Fig. 7, and is adapted to extend through the casing 10 into the slot 11 on the side opposite the bolt 13. A stiff spring 16 on the lower arm of the latch lever 14 bears against the lower armof the bolt lever 13 as shown.

The weight 13 on the bolt lever 13 is sufficient to normally retain the latch lt in the position shown in Fig. 7, and in dotted lines in Fig. 4 by reason of the pressure of the lower arm of the former bearing against the spring 16 on the latter. In this position the latch 14 is projected into the slot 11. When the side bar 3 passes into the slot 11, its forward edge presses the latch bar 1 1 back into the casing 10, thereby throwing the spring 16 under tension which acts to throw the bolt 13 forward so as to cause it to enter a perforation 17 in the bar 3, and lock the latter against movement.

To release the locking-bar, a coin is inserted in a suitable slot 18, and passes downward through a guide-slot 19, and comes to rest in front of a slidable bar 20 connected to a push-button 21. By pressing upon the button 21, the bar 20 moves the coin torwarc so as to cause it to contact the lower end of the bolt lever 13. Continued pressure causes the upper arm or" the bolt lever to mot backward out of engagement with the side bar 3, so that the latter may be moved back tr e of the lock 10. This allows the latch is to enter the slot 11, and the bolt falls back by reason of the weight 13 suiliciently far to release the coin which then falls through a slot 22 into a receptacle or bank 23 designed to receive it. The push-button 21 and bar 19 are returned to their normal position by means of a spiral spring 2 1, and the latch 1% projects into the slot 11 in the path of the bar 3 until the bar presses it back as shown.

In operation, a person desiring to be seated in the chair, drops a coin in the slot 18 and presses the button 21, which action releases the bar 3 as just described, whereupon by pressing backward upon the chair back 3, it is moved into the position shown in 2, and in dotted lines in Fig. 1, whereupon the person may be seated. The backward movement of the seat-back is limited by a rod or bar 25 which extends between the side members A A, and also by the rearward termination of the slots 8. The weight of the person occupying the chair comes upon the 2, back of the shaft 5, and retains the seat in a horizontal position, but as soon as the person leaves the chair, the weight 7 pulls the seat downward, as before mentioned, so that the side bar 3 is again locked in the locking device 10 as previously described.

In the modified form of seat shown in 6, the locking device operates in precisely the same manner as in the other form of chair, but in this case it acts upon a lever arm 26 which is attached to the seat 2, and slidable in a slotted arm as before. Tu this form the seat 2 is independent of the back 3, and is weighted at 27 on its rearward edge, so that when the patron leaves the seat, it is thrown in a vertical position as shown with the lever 26 in engagement with the lock 10. A person desiring to occupy this seat must first drop a coin, as in the previous instance, to unlock the seat, and pull forward and downward upon the edge of the seat so as to dispose it in a horizontal position, as shown in dotted lines.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination in a chair having sides and a toldable seat and connected back, of in ms connected with the seat for automatically folding the seat and back out of use as soon as the chair is vacated, means on one of the sides of the chair to receive a portion of the back and to lock the seat and back ot the chair in their folded position, and means to release the chair to enable its seat and back to be placed in operative position.

2. The combination in a chair having sides and a toldable seat and back, of means on one of the sides of the chair to receive a portion of the back and to lock the seat and back in their folded position, and means to rel ase the seat and back to allow them to be moved into operative position.

8. The combination in a chair having arm pieces, of an integral seat and back, and a shaft extending between the arm pieces across the under side of the seat at a point near and forward of the junction with the back, a counter-weight connected to the seat for automatically folding the seat and back out of use as soon as the chair is vacated, a lock casing fixed to the frame of the chair having a receiving slot for a portion of the chair, means in the casing to lock the chair 111 its folded position, and means to release the chair to enable its seat and back to be placed in operative position.

Tn test'mony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ED GAR W. ALLEN.

l iitnesses Gno. ll. Srnone, Crnmnns EDELMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

